1
Then the LORDsaid to me, "Even thoughMoses and Samuel were to standbefore Me, My heart would not be with thispeople; send them away from My presence and let them go!
2
"And it shall be that when they say to you, 'Where should we go?' then you are to tell them, 'Thussays the LORD: "Those destined for death, to death; And those destined for the sword, to the sword; And those destined for famine, to famine; And those destined for captivity, to captivity."'
3
"I will appointover them fourkinds of doom," declares the LORD: "the sword to slay, the dogs to drag off, and the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.
4
"I will make them an object of horror among all the kingdoms of the earthbecause of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.
6
"You who have forsaken Me," declares the LORD, "You keep goingbackward. So I will stretch out My handagainst you and destroy you; I am tired of relenting!
7
"I will winnow them with a winnowingfork At the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy My people; They did not repent of their ways.
8
"Their widows will be morenumerous before Me Than the sand of the seas; I will bring against them, against the mother of a youngman, A destroyer at noonday; I will suddenlybringdown on her Anguish and dismay.
9
"She who boreseven sons pinesaway; Her breathing is labored. Her sun has set while it was yetday; She has beenshamed and humiliated. So I will give over their survivors to the swordBefore their enemies," declares the LORD.
10
Woe to me, my mother, that you have borne me As a man of strife and a man of contention to all the land! I have not lent, nor have men lent money to me, Yet everyonecurses me.
11
The LORDsaid, "Surely* I will set you free for purposes of good; Surely* I will cause the enemy to makesupplication to you In a time of disaster and a time of distress.
15
You who know, O LORD, Remember me, takenotice of me, And takevengeance for me on my persecutors. Do not, in view of Your patience, take me away; Know that for Your sake I endurereproach.
16
Your words were found and I ate them, And Your wordsbecame for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O LORDGod of hosts.
18
Why has my painbeenperpetual And my woundincurable, refusing to be healed? Will You indeed be to me like a deceptive stream With water that is unreliable*?
19
Therefore, thussays the LORD, "If you return, then I will restore you- Before Me you will stand; And if you extract the precious from the worthless, You will become My spokesman. They for their part may turn to you, But as for you, you must not turn to them.
20
"Then I will make you to thispeople A fortifiedwall of bronze; And though they fightagainst you, They will not prevail over you; For I am with you to save you And deliver you," declares the LORD.